Full-Text Articles in Law

Language Diversity In The Workplace, Cristina M. Rodríguez

Faculty Scholarship Series

In March of 2005, the manager of a Dunkin' Donuts in Yonkers, NewYork, stirred some local controversy when he posted a sign inviting customersto complain if they heard employees behind the counter speaking alanguage other than English. A day later, the manager removed the sign,responding to vociferous complaints that it amounted to discrimination.While the mini-drama was not itself an unusual event-English-only ruleshave become increasingly common in the American workplace-the episodedid not follow the predictable script. The manager, who acted on hisown, was himself a native Spanish speaker-an immigrant from Ecuador.He claimed ...